Perspectives for Computer Modeling in the Study of T Cell Activation

Overview

Journal Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol

Specialties Biology
Molecular Biology

Date 2010 Jun 3

PMID 20516137

Citations 9

Authors

Jesse Coward

Ronald N Germain

Gregoire Altan-Bonnet

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The T cell receptor (TCR) is responsible for discriminating between self- and foreign-derived peptides, translating minute differences in amino-acid sequence into large differences in response. Because of the great variability in the TCR and its ligands, activation of T cells by foreign peptides is a quantitative process, dependent on a mix of upstream signals and downstream integration. Accordingly, quantitative data and computational models have shed light on many important aspects of this process: molecular noise in ligand recognition, spatial dynamics in T cell-APC (antigen presenting cell) interactions, graded versus all-or-none decision making by the TCR apparatus, mechanisms of peptide antagonism and synergism, and the tunability and robustness of activation thresholds. Though diverse in their formalism, these studies together paint a picture of how modeling has shaped and will continue to shape understanding of T cell immunobiology.

Citing Articles

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Experimental and theoretical bases for mechanisms of antigen discrimination by T cells.

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